In late October, Gov. JB Pritzker stood in the event hall of the Illinois Beach Hotel to celebrate the completion of a $73 million Illinois Beach State Park shoreline restoration project.
He praised it as a “model” for the country. The breakwaters will save the beach from erosion, rejuvenate area communities and provide habitat for endangered species, the governor said.
But now, water-safety nonprofit Great Lakes Surf Rescue is sounding an alarm over a spate of drownings at the park over the summer, pointing to the recently installed breakwaters as the culprit and calling for improved safety measures.
Meanwhile, local officials, who generally attribute the increase in water incidents to the jump in beachgoers since the restoration, said they’re hoping the state will provide support as small area municipalities shoulder an anticipated increase in water-safety-related calls.
Dave Benjamin is the co-founder of Great Lakes Surf Project, which tracks Great Lakes drowning statistics, provides water safety training and works to raise awareness about water safety. An advocate for water safety for well over a decade, he is critical of the breakwater project.
“You just spent $73 million to increase the water hazards for your beachgoers, and you didn’t do anything to protect the beachgoers,” he said.
Benjamin said the breakwaters force water to flow around them, creating stronger currents that can be difficult for swimmers to deal with, and digging deep channels underwater near the shore.
Breakwaters can also draw curious swimmers, he said, as was the case for 26-year-old Akshith Reddy Bhandra, who drowned July 20 after attempting to swim to the breakwater with friends, according to authorities.
Over the summer, Beach Park had eight water-rescue incidents and two fatal drownings, including Bhandra, according to Beach Park Fire Department Fire Chief Thomas Stahl. They were the first fatal drownings in Beach Park since 2020, he said.
Stahl said he couldn’t “absolutely confirm” the breakwaters directly contributed to the drownings, but said a meteorologist with the National Weather Service told him breakwaters can create artificial rip currents.
Nonetheless, he said the stark increase in beachgoers since the restoration is going to increase the number of water incidents.
“More people creates more chances for incidents,” Stahl said.
A statement from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) echoed that sentiment. There are “inherent risks” swimming in Lake Michigan, and “precautions should always be taken,” it said. With the increase in visitors, the IDNR said it should be expected that calls for service will increase as well.
In response to that increase, the statement said IDNR is working on a lakefront safety plan to, “help visitors understand the risks,” and educate them on safety measures and what to do in an emergency. That will include informational signage and additional warnings that no lifeguards are on duty, the statement said.
Work on educational signage in English and Spanish about rip currents are also in development, the agency said.
The statement went on to say IDNR plans to install about 50 new signs with throw rings and rope bags, with about a quarter already installed. Several have since been stolen, a likely “ongoing challenge for site staff,” the agency said.
“Our plan is to have as much signage as possible in place prior to the season-opening late next spring,” it said.
Illinois Beach State Park staffers are also utilizing the park’s social media outlets to inform people about hazardous weather conditions and other safety information for the beach and the park, the statement said.
“They especially want to reach people who aren’t as familiar with the hazards and conditions of an inland sea like Lake Michigan,” the agency said.
Support needed
Winthrop Harbor Village Administrator David Alarcon said officials have a “beautiful state park” that is becoming popular again, and they want to “keep water safety at the forefront.”
He highlighted collaborative efforts with various emergency responders in the region to address the increase in calls.
“Most importantly, people should know and understand that if they do get in trouble, there’s a significant collaborative effort between all the regional fire departments, IDNR, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and also the Coast Guard,” Alarcon said. “They’ll be there when people need help.”
A news conference featuring area fire departments and officials regarding the increase in water incidents was originally scheduled for Oct. 3, just days after Pritzker was in Beach Park, but it was ultimately canceled.
Winthrop Harbor Fire Chief Rocco Campanella said they put off the conference after meeting with IDNR officials during the governor’s visit to Beach State Park who, “expressed interest in helping.”
The IDNR statement said the agency and the Illinois Conservation Police were aware local fire departments and rescue teams were concerned about increased activity at the beach.
“Staff have sat in on several logistical meetings with them. We value those partnerships and are eager to continue those discussions,” the statement said.
Since then, Campanella said local politicians have also reached out to offer support, “and make sure our needs are met.”
The news conference information packet provided by Campanella indicated representatives from the Winthrop Harbor, Beach Park, Zion and Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, fire departments were scheduled to attend, as well as local and state officials.
According to the packet, the departments were going to thank the IDNR for investing in Beach Park, creating “beautiful” beaches and “exponentially” increasing usage, but that their “responsibilities as the responding fire departments have increased ten-fold.”
Winthrop Harbor Fire Department water rescue responses have more than doubled since 2019, after dropping to just one incident in 2022. This year has seen 14 calls thus far.
Even with local and Mutual Aid Box Alarm System resources, which go beyond the county and state borders, local first responders, “cannot effectively respond to the challenges Lake Michigan presents,” the information packet statement said.
They don’t have the necessary equipment between area emergency responders, and the nearest Coast Guard station, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is 25 minutes away by boat and has reduced hours, the statement added.
The packet also outlined the resources needed between Beach Park and Winthrop Harbor, from life rings to Lake Michigan-capable boats, with the total cost projected in the millions. Such amounts are far out of reach for the departments, the packet statement said.
The IDNR statement said agency officials will be “happy to share information” on any potential grant funding opportunities. Some municipalities have already begun reaching out to their legislators on their own to get funding, the statement said, and the IDNR is “in support of these efforts.”
Lifeguards needed
To Benjamin, the restoration is a case of “good intentions” with “unintended consequences.”
“Yes, we need to protect the shoreline. We need to restore habitats,” he said. “But at the same time, you’re doing it in an unnatural way, and you’re increasing the hazards.”
The beachfront with the largest population of visitors will need lifeguards, Benjamin said. But he warned even if the process of hiring and training began soon, there still likely would not be lifeguards ready for the next swimming season.
“The beach reconfiguration project should not be a model for other beaches unless they understand the hazards that they will create and add lifeguards,” he said.
According to Alarcon, decisions regarding lifeguards at the beach will be under IDNR’s authority.
The Governor’s Office referred questions regarding the concerns from the Great Lakes Surf Project and local officials, along with the calls for funding, to the IDNR.
Lake County Board member Gina Roberts, whose district includes Beach State Park, said she is concerned with the lack of lifeguards at Beach Park, and hopes to speak with state officials about getting funding.
“I’ve noticed the deaths this past summer,” she said. “It would be nice if the state could fund lifeguards. With that beautiful beach, it brings more people, and a lot of adults and children don’t necessarily know how to swim.”
The beaches remain without lifeguards, Stahl said, meaning “swimming is at your own risk.”
